"I Wish Somebody'd Come" (c1856; 1857)
Song
Sung by
Miss Catherine Hiffert
at Buckley's Opera House New York
[Written? and] Composed by
John Rogers Thomas, 1830-1896

New York: William A. Pond & Co., 547 Broadway
Pittsburg: H. Kleber & Bro.
Albany: J. H. Hidley
St. Louis: H. Pilcher & Sons
Plate No. 4172
Quidor, Engraver.
[Sources: 1857-610440 & 1885-05237@LoC; @NYPL]

1.
The flow'rs are blooming on the lawn,
The birds are singing free,
And ev'ry thing is full of life
And happiness but me;
The flow'rs look strangely dull today,
They're shadowy as my dreams,
And very lonely seem to me
The sunlight's golden beams.
As for the birds, I heed them not,
They had as well be dumb,
They cannot charm my heart today,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come,
They cannot charm my heart today,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come!

2.
I've tried my books, my music too,
I've tried it o'er and o'er--
But pshaw! I can not see my notes,
My eyes keep wand'ring so;
Unanswer'd notes before me lie,
I'll count them one, two, three;
And here are letters waiting too,
But what are they to me?
My books are stale-- my music too
Discordant as a drum,
My voice is very bad today,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come,
My voice is very bad today,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come,
I wish that _somebody'd_ come!

3.
The sun is setting in the west,
And twilight deepens now,
And night comes forth, an ebon queen,
With jewels on her brow;
The cat is sleeping on the hearth,
The bell has rung for tea,
And not one living soul has come,
What can the matter be?
The day is gone, the night comes on
And I will look no more,
There! Bettie, don't you hear the bell,
Somebody's at the door!
There! Bettie, don't you hear the bell,
Somebody's at the door!
Somebody's at the door!